Monterey Peninsula Unified’s decision to hire Lake Elsinore Unified School District Assistant Superintendent Alain Guevara as superintendent there was delayed Monday after dozens of parents and teachers spoke against his hiring at that district’s governing board meeting.

With Guevara in attendance, about 250 people filed into the district’s board meeting in Del Rey Oaks to raise concerns about a pending sexual harassment lawsuit in which Guevara is named as a defendant alongside other Lake Elsinore Unified administrators.

“Yes, they were very concerned about him being named in a sexual harassment lawsuit and they questioned the board’s choice,” Monterey Peninsula spokeswoman Sharon Albert said.

After an hour of public comments, Monterey Peninsula’s governing board met in a closed session, where the trustees opted to delay voting on a contract that would have paid Guevara, Lake Elsinore Unified’s assistant superintendent of instructional support services, about $186,000 annually to become Monterey Peninsula Unified’s superintendent.

“We listened to you; we’re going to do some more soul-searching and investigation,” board President Curt Parker reportedly said after Monday’s closed session.

The governing board is tentatively scheduled to meet again Monday and May 7 to discuss Guevara’s hiring, Albert said.

Although Guevara had not yet returned from Monterey and could not be immediately reached for comment, his status with Lake Elsinore Unified remains unchanged, spokesman Mark Dennis said.

“He is in good standing with the Lake Elsinore Unified School District,” Dennis said. “While he was a candidate for another position, he hasn’t done anything to specifically separate from the district and he is currently under his employment agreement.”

Dennis said Guevara wouldn’t have started his new position with Monterey Peninsula Unified until July 1. In fact, Lake Elsinore Unified in December renewed Guevara’s contract through June 2014 at a salary of $147,000 annually.

Whether Guevara gets hired into the position in the Monterey Peninsula district now remains to be seen after an hour of public testimony brought to light the allegations against Guevara in the pending lawsuit.

In March 2011, a Lake Elsinore assistant principal filed a suit against the district that named Guevara, retired Superintendent Frank Passarella and Assistant Superintendent Kip Meyer as defendants, alleging she was retaliated against after she complained about “crude” skits performed during annual summer gatherings in the Palm Springs area.

The lawsuit alleges that, over the years, the retreats included cross-dressing, a video titled “Alain’s Colonoscopy” and other videos and skits that the plaintiff said was demeaning to homosexuals.

According to the lawsuit, Guevara asked colleagues to describe their sexual preferences in one exercise and once wore a hat with plastic testicles on it.

“Coming into a new job with a pending lawsuit just puts a burden on us,” Monterey High School teacher Carrie Parker told
KSBW.com.

Guevara, who started in the Lake Elsinore district in 1994 as a middle school teacher, spoke with the TV station after the meeting.

“I would say that that is inaccurate that there were testicles hanging from a hat; that’s all I can say,” Guevara told
KSBW.com. “When you’re suing somebody, it’s about legality, right? And whether things are legal or not. I don’t think there’s anything illegal that was done at those retreats.”

He added: “I guess I was looking forward to the opportunity to prove that I am up for the job, that I’m excited about working for them.”